NEED HELP GETTING STARTED?
•Connect tasks to larger goals: for example, my goal is to graduate so I need to complete my work and study
•Remember the feeling of accomplishment after completing a task, and look forward to having that feeling again
•Do a body check: are you hungry? Thirsty? Cold? Etc. Make yourself comfortable so you don’t get distracted and derailed later
•Start with a 2-minute mind-dump: write your to-do list, what your thinking or worried about
•Re-read your assignment
•Consider making a list of the criteria, such as word count, number of references for a paper, or number of chapters or sections to study
POMODORO METHOD
•25 minutes of work, followed by a 5 minute break.
•You can change the suggested timeframe, based on what works for you
•Repeat the process, and after the fourth working session, take a longer 20-30 minute break.
EAT THE FROG
•Mark Twain famously said, “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning.”
•Tackle big or complex tasks first before working on your less important items.
•Ensure you’re getting to your most important work every day
•Gives sense of accomplishment
•Reduced stress & anxiety, and frees up mental space to keep tackling smaller items on your to do list
PARETO PRINCIPLE
•The opposite of the Eat The Frog method
•Encourages you to get quick tasks out of the way, so you can feel more accomplished and motivated as you head into your day
•Gives sense of accomplishment
•The“80/20 rule”
•spend 20% of your time on 80% of your work (the small tasks).
•This frees up your workday to tackle the 20% of your work (the big tasks) that will take 80% of your time.
GETTING THINGS DONE METHOD
•Step 1: write down everything you need to do.
•This frees up brain power so you can focus on taking action—and not remembering what you need to do.
•Capture all of your upcoming work in one place.
•Step 2: sort and prioritize your work.
•Step 3: do the work
STUDY WITH A PARTNER
•Study with a partner, if it works for you
•Ask to hold each other accountable, at least 80% of the time
•Divy it up: make a plan to review different sections & ‘present’ to each other
LIMIT DISTRACTIONS
•Turn off Devices
•Turn off your phone
•Turn off notifications & sound on your computer
•Use Earplugs, listen to music, or use white noise machine
•Practice studying in a similar sounding environment as a test
•Use fidget toys, stress balls, etc.
•Organize your physical space
BUILD IN TIME FOR SELF CARE
•Sleep problems are associated with a poorer working memory (Sciberras, et. al., 2015)
•Routine helps: get up & go to bed the same time each day
•Avoid caffeine after noon
•Avoid screens before bed time
•Exercise can help improve focus
•Eat nutritious foods for your brain
•Relax and do something you enjoy
TOOLS YOU CAN USE
•Apps: : Reminders app, Evernote, Trello, etc.
•Pomodoro Timer: Focus Booster, Timer on your phone or device, etc.
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